Blockchain’s Impact on the Finance Industry, Part 1

This is part 1 of our multi-part series on Digital Assets and Blockchain, and what these could mean for the finance industry.

It seems like you can’t take one step these days without bumping into someone talking about cryptocurrencies. But for all this talk, the average investor probably doesn’t understand the underlying tech behind it — which is the real value add — the blockchain.

So let’s ask ourselves, How will blockchain affect the finance industry?There are a lot of unknowns, both potentially negative and positive. Let’s start with the potential positives:

Fees

It’s estimated that consumers could save up to $16 billion in banking and insurance fees each year through blockchain-based applications. By reducing transaction costs and essentially cutting out the middleman, blockchain offers an efficiency that cuts through costly financial ‘red tape’. And with shorter clearance or settlement times, reduced back office and compliance costs, companies could also see similar savings as well as risk reduction.

The one thing we can be certain of about blockchain is that we don’t know what impact this technology will have and how many industries it will affect. Even with all the excitement surrounding it and its entrance into the mainstream, it’s still in the early days. Smart investors and tech titans will tread lightly and keep a watchful eye on this continually and quickly evolving space.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series on what blockchain and cryptocurrencies mean specifically for asset management and investing vs. payments and banking.